05/29/2007 16:46:06

This may be the references you were asking about. Sorry it is so long. Much of the text was taken from http://www.morrellcom.com/TheBible/tsv/forgive.html

Debbie
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And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Eph 4:32)


Sometimes there can be a little bit of confusion concerning the requirement of Christ requirement to forgive one another. Because of the strict commandments placed on us concerning our behavior, and because sin can so easily overtake each of us, we could slowly get caught up in getting very picky with each other about each other's sins. We may take upon ourselves some of God's work in extending forgiveness to each other for sins against God. Whether or not we have power to do so will take some research into what the Bible teaches concerning our forgiveness requirement.


We know brethren in Christ are required to forgive. It is a principle that we cannot shirk or make light of. When we pray to God, we say "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." If God were to not forgive us our debts to Him then we would surely be doomed. But as we walk in the light each day, we make statements to God about our sins. We verbalize in our prayers to Him that we have sinned. 1 John Chapter 1 talks about this:


If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jo 1:9


Because of our sinful nature and predisposition to sin each day, and because this sin would separate us from God, people needed a method by which to correct their position with God. This correction is accomplished by a release from those sins, and then freedom to walk away from them. It's a system that has been designed and granted to us by God. Following this means of a forgiveness is a commandment to then start walking in the correct direction towards God's Kingdom.


Forgiveness is a part of the essential method established by God to make us right with Him. There are many other aspects of His plan that we will not talk about today. But forgiveness, being a Key solution offered by God to us, is also a requirement that He has put on us to our fellowmen.


But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mr 11:26)


Jesus also taught us to not judge one another.


Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Mat 7:1-2)


Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: *forgive (apoluow), and ye shall be *forgiven (apoluow) : (Lu 6:37)


On the other hand, Jesus also makes a commandment.


Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.


In addition to the forgiveness requirement are questions concerning how to correct our fellowservants in Christ if they are behaving improperly or doing things that may offend us in some way.


So this morning we should think about forgiveness and judgment, repentance and release.


Forgiveness - Read Matthew 18:21-35


Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took [him] by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.


What kind of trespass are we allowed to forgive? If we are required to practice forgiveness so that we can be like our Father in heaven, we just know exactly what that means.


And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving* one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Eph 4:32)


* 5483 - carizomai - to grant as a favor. - to show favor or kindness, to oblige or gratify a person. to be pleasing or agreeable, court favor. to offer as a free gift.


If we are to be like God we must forgive.


If we are to be kind to each other we must forgive.

To understand forgiveness we must read the parable.

In the parable a person owes someone a debt. To truly end the debt is a two step process.


First the Legal Requirement or contract must be destroyed, torn up. Then the person must verbally be told they are allowed to leave, they are free and can leave. They are sent away.


This is expressed as the Greek word AFIAYMEE. afihmi . This word is used in various places in the Bible and other Greek writings to mean

Remit from an accusation or acquit.

The other word is apoluw, this word means to set free. To allow them to leave. ACQUIT FROM THE DEBT - TELL THEM THEY ARE FREE TO GO AWAY.



Think of the parable - think of the requirement.


If you want God to forgive You, you must practice forgiveness, every day, every situation. In fact, when Peter asked Jesus how many times he must forgiveŠ 7 Times? Jesus said no, 70 times 7. It may have been a common practice to have forgive 7 times only. Whether it was or not, Jesus explained that you must forgive and then keep forgiving.

Try to remember that in contrast to the few dollars worth of debts, pennies really of aggravation that people may cause toward us, it is nothing compared with the $10,000,000 worth of debt that our sins against the Word of God have indebted us to him. If we think of Christ's death as a redemption from the debt of mankind's sin, then think of that incredibly large price.


Jesus was a perfect man. He was sinless. He suffered in so many ways. He gave up so much that each of us takes for granted. Each of us looks forward to our short term goals each day. Jesus looked forward to not only the Kingdom not coming for many centuries, but to all of the suffering he had to face in the short term. He also would know of the suffering his followers, many who were not even born yet, would have to suffer down through the ages. It was the hope set before him that got him through this. It was because of this hope that he endured the shame and bore the suffering of the cross. It was because of this suffering that we can have our sins forgiven.


If we decided to stop practicing forgiveness we would treat the accomplishment of God in Christ as nothing, as a light thing, as something that we don't truly believe in. But we do believe in it. We have proclaimed to all around us - We believe in what Jesus Taught - we believe in him, we believe in practicing forgiveness.


To forgive, we need to first define what it is a person may actually owe us. On the simplest of levels, let's say they owe us money. For example, maybe we sold them a book. We said here is the book, it is slightly used as I already used it for a few months, so it will cost you $15.00. We tell them they can pay us in 3 weeks and they give us a short note saying they will do so - an IOU. We know they really need it now and won't have the money for a couple weeks. That was 6 months ago. We asked once about it and have gotten nowhere. It has caused a rift between us. They stay in touch in a funny kind of way because of this debt. They finally come to us and tell us they are having a bad problem paying us back. We decide to forgive them this debt. The two steps required are one, to give them back the IOU that was written out and to sign it as debt canceled or something to that effect - stating plainly that the debt has ceased to exist and is no longer on record in any way. Secondly, we are to tell them that all is fine between us. They are free to come and go with complete freedom as far as the two of us are concerned from now on. This freedom of movement is important. If it is not plainly stated, then we might be holding a grudge against them.


A law in Mosaic account that can help understand the canceling of the debt and the release and freedom is the law regarding the year of release every seven years. The way this law worked was that every seven years, there was a year called a year of release. All debts were canceled on the first day of that year. The law also required that you must still loan money or other things even if it were only a day or two before the year of release. If you said, I will hold off on loaning right now because this loan will be invalidated next week in the year of release, then you were sinning.


At the end of [every] seven years thou shalt make a release. And this [is] the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth [ought] unto his neighbour shall release [it]; he shall not exact [it] of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release. (Deut 15:1-2)


This release was to occur regularly, every seven years. It did not mean that any given debt could last seven years, it meant rather that there were years proclaimed to be years of release and all debts ended on the first day of those years.


Deu 15:7-11


If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.


So, what do we learn from this. We learn that debts between people MUST CEASE TO EXIST. This requirement was placed upon Israel. Maybe Peter was thinking of the 7 times because of the 7 times referred to in the Year of Release ever 7 years. We don't know. But we do know that Jesus referred to the 70 times 7 times that we must forgive - and release the debts of our brethren. Debts between brethren cannot continue. We must release them. The rules haven't changed, its just that the requirement to release them has increased.


IF THE DEBT IS GREATER and NOT TO US.


If even legitimate debts to us must be released, then how could there be other cases where we might allow problems that separate brethren to continue. Say we have some problem with a brother. We feel he is sinning. Jesus says that we should drop what we are doing and work at trying to recover that sinner. The means by which we do so are many. It involves a lot of patience, kindness, forbearance and love on our part. Soft answers that turn away wrath may be required, attending to some of their worldly needs and extending hospitality may be required. But, when the day comes that they confess with their mouth their sins and ask for acceptance and restoral, then we must grant it.


But if they refuse, then we must keep trying and trying with several others. If all this fails, maybe the whole ecclesia would be needed to help regain the brother and a return to basic preaching to them would be needed.


But, the trap we must not fall into when their debt concerns a sin against God, is the trap of feeling that we are forgiving them of a debt between them and God. In that case all that we can offer them is acceptance and fellowship and other types of help. But we cannot forgive their sins. Only God or his representative in Christ could do that.


We can forgive debts to us. We can free someone of their obligations to us. We can correct them and help them to overcome sins. After they repent we can offer them warm acceptance and fellowship to help them avoid the same sins again and again.


Our obligation to forgive in order to fulfill the law of Christ is really stated in one simple phrase. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou lovest thyself. This verse means to think of in your free and hopeful imagination, how would you like to be treated. When you get the answer, treat the other person that way. You would want to be forgiven of deals you couldn't keep. You would want to be accepted after you have repented of various sins. Because that is what you want so much, then that is what you must do to others. Christ did it for you remember. He died a miserable and painful agonizing death on the tree for our sins. That is what we are remembering this morning. The bread and the wine are simple and powerful reminders that we believe in this death, we believe in the Gospel of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. We believe it, we were baptized into Christ and now we walk together in the same light as Christ because we have been set free from the bondage of sin.


Acquittal and granting freedom.

A final thought about freeing people and releasing their debts is given in Isaiah which we can close with this morning.


Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? [is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy re-reward. (ISA 58:5-8)


Relieving one another burden's, canceling debts, freeing and loosing. These are the activities of healthy brethren and sisters in Christ. Let's walk in the light together and practice forgiveness and acceptance each day of our lives.

If we can always remember the forgiveness we want from God, and the forgiveness Christ obtained for us when he died for us, we can become those who love to forgive, and love to keep forgiving wrongs done to us so we can be more like our Father.